President Trump said the closure was necessary for safety repairs after part of the ceiling fell.
The board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted this week to close the building, despite a federal judge’s order that it must remain open, after part of the ceiling recently fell. Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex officio member of the center’s board, also requested an emergency hearing regarding its closing and the proposed renaming of the center to include President Donald Trump’s name.
In response to Congresswoman Beatty’s request, the district judge ruled that the board could not add President Trump’s name without approval from Congress.
President Trump responded, “The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name.”
Regarding the dilapidated condition of the center, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shared video of the debris, saying that “failing roofing, collapsing concrete supports, and steel that is rotting have created completely unsafe conditions.”
The Justice Department has appealed the district court’s ruling that the center remain open. Administration lawyers stated that the center’s condition “will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site, such as a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River that has been proposed, by some, for many years.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For President Trump as he advocates for the renovations and inclusion of his name in the center.
- For officials in the Justice Department as they seek legal approval to close the dilapidated center.
- For discernment for the judges who hear the appeals regarding the repairs and renaming.
Sources: Daily Wire, UPI News, NewsNationNow
